Red, White & Ready: Behind the scenes at Bristol’s Fourth of July Parade

Organizing the annual Bristol Fourth of July Parade is a process of operating a machine with many, many moving parts.

BRISTOL — Whether they watch it in person or on television, most people tend to view Bristol’s annual Fourth of July Parade as an exercise in patriotic perfection. After all, the event has been held every year since 1785, giving it bragging rights as the oldest Fourth of July parade in the country.

With so much experience to draw on, what could go wrong?

Needless to say, that’s not how the people who actually put on the parade see things. To them, the parade and the dozens of other events and activities that surround the city’s annual Fourth of July celebration — a list that includes everything from an outdoor concert series to an old-time baseball game to a drag race featuring homemade “orange crate” roadsters — are more like a machine with lots of moving parts.

Sure it works, they say, but only because we keep it humming.

“Definitely, it’s a lot of work,” says Ray Lavey, vice chairman of the all-volunteer Bristol Fourth of July Committee. “You have literally dozens of events to organize. You have more than 100 volunteers to coordinate. And you have all the planning and organization that goes into the parade itself, which is significant considering that there are hundreds of groups and individuals involved. So, yeah, we keep busy.”

At the same time, Lavey and his fellow committee members wouldn’t have it any other way. To them, Bristol’s July 4th celebration isn’t just a cherished local tradition. It’s a part of history.

“Anyone who grows up in Rhode Island knows about the Bristol Fourth of July parade,” Lavey says. “It’s something you take pride in as a Rhode Islander and as an American.”

As it happens, Lavey himself is a prime example of how strongly Bristolians feel about their July 4th festivities. Born in the neighboring town of Warren, he grew up dreaming about being a part of Bristol’s Fourth of July parade the way some youngsters dream of becoming rock stars or sports heroes.

“It probably sounds a little hokey, but that’s how I felt,” he says. “It seemed like such a great event, with all the activities and everybody getting involved. It made you want to be a part of it.”

As soon as he could, Lavey moved to Bristol and joined the town’s Fourth of July Committee. Now in his mid-60s, he’s held a variety of positions within the organization — a list that includes dozens of subcommittees and workgroups overseeing everything from fundraising to float design.

For the past two years, Lavey has served as the committee’s vice chairman, a position that puts him charge of the crown jewel of Bristol’s Fourth of July celebration: its annual July 4th parade. Needless to say, it’s a position Lavey takes very seriously.

“It’s a tremendous honor, but it’s also a position with a lot of responsibility,” he says. “The first year I did it, it was so new and there was so much to learn that it went by very quickly. This year, because I’m more familiar with all the things that can go wrong, I’m feeling the pressure even more.”

While Lavey and committee chairman Dick Devault are responsible for overall planning and management, other committee members are in charge of specific parade-related functions. This year, for example, one of the parade’s most important jobs — coordinating the many military and veterans’ groups that march in the parade — is being handled by Jerome “Jerry” Squatrito, a retired Navy officer.

Other key positions include selection and oversight of the parade’s floats and coordinating the dozens of marching bands and drum and bugle corps that add so much to the parade’s appeal. (For the record, this year’s float and marching band coordinators are Jim Tavares and Gerald Mederos, respectively.)

So how do organizers select the parade’s drum corps and marching bands?

According to Lavey, out-of-state marching bands are usually booked through a nonprofit company that also manages the bands’ travel arrangements. The drum and bugle corps, meanwhile, are booked through another non-profit, Drum Corps International, that also organizes Bristol’s annual drum and bugle corps competition on July 3. (For more on the drum corps competition and other July 4th events, see Page G3.)

“There’s a whole network out there that exists to get these groups into as many events and festivals as possible,” he says. “Fortunately, the Bristol Fourth of July parade has a great reputation around the country. Year after year, we get some of the top marching bands and drum and bugle corps in the country.”

In order to keep award-winning groups like Illinois’ Phantom Regiment and Pennsylvania’s Cadets coming back year after year, the committee sometimes makes special arrangements, such as placing them near the front or back of the parade formation and providing escorts to and from the parade route.

The reason: Many of the best bands and drum corps appear in more than one July 4th parade.

“Some of them do as many as three parades in a day,” Lavey says. “So we try to get them in and out as fast as possible.”

As usual, the parade will have a big military presence, including both active-duty and veterans’ groups. Unfortunately, two of the parade’s most popular attractions — the flyover by military jets that traditionally kicks off the parade and tours of a visiting Navy ship — will be no-shows this year.

Lavey says both cancellations are the result of the federal budget-cutting initiative known as “sequestration.”

“We’ve definitely seen an impact (from sequestration),” Lavey says. “We even lost one of our top musical ensembles — the United States Army Band ‘Pershing’s Own’ — because of sequester cutbacks.”

Still, the impact won’t be as severe as it might have been.

In response to federal restrictions on military travel, Bristol’s Fourth of July Committee is offering free transportation to and from the parade to military personnel. As a result, organizers expect military participation to be roughly the same as usual.

Meanwhile, two committee members — Darlene Olson and Eric Sponseller — are paying for a more modest flyover by a pair of World War II-era military training planes. In addition, the committee has invited pilots from the Air Force’s Thunderbirds jet squadron to march in this year’s parade.

“As a result, the Thunderbirds will be with us this year,” Lavey said. “They’ll just be on the ground instead of in the air.”

Another, less noticeable change will be an increased security presence along the main parade route. Indeed, Lavey says that security will be “nearly double” that of last year due to the recent Patriots’ Day bombings in Boston.

“It’s something you’re seeing all over the country, not just here,” he says.

Asked to name his biggest challenge as vice chairman, Lavey doesn’t miss a beat. He reaches into his briefcase and pulls out a dog-eared copy of last year’s parade brochure.

“This, this is what keeps me up at night,” he says, waving the brochure, which lists the entire parade schedule from start to finish. “When all is said and done, putting together a good parade is really a matter of pacing. Who goes first, who goes second, who follows the marching band, who goes in front of the float — all the little decisions that keep the parade moving forward and keep it interesting for the people watching.

“If I can get that right, I’ll have earned my stripes as vice chairman.”

If you go:

Bristol’s annual Fourth of July Parade is one of the glories of summer in Rhode Island. Here are some tips, times and travel suggestions to make it as enjoyable as possible.

As usual, Bristol’s Fourth of July Parade steps off at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine, at the corner of Chestnut Street and Hope Street. The parade ends on High Street, between State Street and Bradford Street.

Since the best viewing areas tend to fill up quickly, most parade-goers will want to get an early start. Public access to the parade route begins at 5 a.m. Overnight camping and access to the parade route before 5 a.m. are prohibited.

If you do arrive early, the best viewing areas tend to be near the start of the parade, near Hope Street. Latecomers, meanwhile, will find more elbow room and better sight lines closer to the end of the parade route, along High Street.

Before the parade, Bristol hosts a special patriotic speech and other events at 8:30 a.m. in Colt Memorial School on Hope Street. This year’s speaker is Rear Admiral Robert O. Wray Jr.

Public parking is available at the corner of Hope Street and Gooding Avenue, although the lots tend to fill up quickly. Avoid Mt. Hope High School, which is for parade participants only. If you park on residential streets, please be sure to avoid blocking driveways. Otherwise, expect to be ticketed.

If you’re driving, keep in mind that much of downtown Bristol will be blocked to traffic before and during the parade. Chestnut Street, Naomi Street and Sherry Avenue will close at 7 a.m. Poppasquash Road closes at 8 a.m. A parking ban along the parade route goes into effect the night before the parade.

Then again, why bother with traffic at all? Instead, take the East Bay Bike Path to Bristol and exit at Colt State Park. (Note: When you get near the parade, find a place to securely lock your bike. Bicycles, skateboards and in-line skates are prohibited along the parade route itself.)

Make sure to check the weather before leaving home. On a hot day, be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen. Hats and umbrellas are also a good idea. Also keep in mind that pets, fireworks and alcoholic beverages are prohibited along the parade route.

For parade-goers with disabilities, a handicapped-accessible viewing area will be set up at the corner of Hope and Court streets, across from the Harriet Bradford Motor Inn. Handicap parking is available across from the Town Hall on Court Street. (See map for more details.)

More information about the Bristol Fourth of July parade and other events can be found at july4thbristolri.com.

Live television coverage of the parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Channel 6 and Cox Channel 3. Coverage starts at 10 a.m. with a pre-show featuring highlights of past celebrations and live music. Coverage of the parade follows at 11 a.m.